Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Live Video/Audio/Stats

Setting the Scene:  A matchup delayed by a year greets the Cardinals as they seek to lock up a spot in the national quarterfinals for the third straight season and the fifth time overall.

Series History: This is the first football meeting between the two institutions. The teams were scheduled to face off in the first round of the 2021 Division III Football Championship before the game was cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols.

The game was declared a no- contest and North Central advanced to the second round.

National Rankings: North Central was ranked No. 1 by D3football. com and the first American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) at the close of the regular season.

Carnegie Mellon was ranked No. 15 by the AFCA and No. 19 by D3football.com.

Scouting the Tartans: Carnegie Mellon opened its first postseason appearance since 2006 Saturday, taking a 28-7 halftime lead before finishing off DePauw, 45-14. Quarterback Ben Mills completed three touchdown passes, including two to wideout Ethan Reifer, while tailback Tre Vasiliadis ran for two scored and 167 yards on 29 carries.

The Tartans’ defense intercepted three passes, one of which was returned 45 yards for a touch- down by Nolan Pitsenberger.

CMU has made its living by winning the turnover battle, ranking third in the nation in turnover margin (+2.09 per game) and fourth in turnovers forced (33). The Tartans rank second nationally in interceptions (23).

Linebacker Robert Coury is the team’s leader in tackles (88) and tackles for loss (17), while fellow linebacker Thom- as Coury (77 tackles) has blocked two kicks and cornerback Adrian Williams has a team-high 16 passes defended.

Vasiliadis and Willem Bouma have managed the bulk of CMU’s rushing attempts while Mills has completed 52.4 percent of his passes for 15 touchdowns with five interceptions. The Tartans have gained 194 of their 304 average offensive yards via the passing game.

This Week for the Cardinals: North Central posted its second shutout victory in postseason play with a 50-0 first-round victory over Lake Forest.

The Cardinals allowed just 66 yards of offense, breaking the program single-game record of 81 yards achieved Sept. 24 against Elm- hurst. NorthCentral garnered 30 first downs while permitting only three.

Luke Lehnen accounted for five of the Cardinals' seven touchdowns, throwing three and running for two. Lehnen has thrown for 27 scores this season while running for an additional 10.

Lehnen completed 15 of 21 passes for 215 yards, finding DeAngelo Hardy six times for 127. Ethan Greenfield gained 131 rushing yards on 18 carries and Sam Taviani made a team-high six tackles.

The Cardinals have shut out five opponents this season and have outscored their last seven opponents, 409-6. They enter play this week as the national leader in scoring offense (57.5 ppg), scoring defense (4.6 ppg), total offense (573.0 ypg) and rushing offense (377.0 ypg).

North Central has already established a new single-season school record for rushing yards (4,149), which was accomplished over 14 games in 2021.

Kicker Tanner Rains was successful on six extra-point kicks, giving him a program-record 81 this season.

Gagliardi Trophy Semifinalists Announced: Ethan Greenfield was named one of 15 finalists for the Gagliardi Trophy Tuesday. The Gagliardi Trophy is the premier individual award in NCAA Division III football and will be presented this year for the 29th time.

Quarterback Broc Rutter won North Central's first Gagliardi Trophy in 2019. The Cardinals have had a semifinalist each of the past five seasons.

North Central in the NCAA Playoffs: The Cardinals own a 24-12 overall record in the Division III Football Championship, including victories in their last 13 first-round games.

NorthCentral won its first national title in2019 and finished as the national runner-up in 2021. The Cardinals first qualified for the national quarterfinals in 2010 and the semifinals in 2013.

NCAA All-Time Active Leaders: Greenfield is the second-leading active rusher in all of college football and ranks sixth all-time in Division III history with a North Central-record 6,183 yards.

Greenfield also ranks second among active players in career all-purpose yards (7,092) and points scored (522). He ranks seventh in Division III history in scoring and 14th in all-purpose yards.

National Statistical Rankings: Lehnen sits fourth nationally in passing efficiency (192.3), sixth in yards per pass attempt (10.16) and 17th in passing touchdowns (27).

Greenfield is the Division III national leader in yards per rushing attempt (8.16) while ranking third in rushing touchdowns (19) and fifth in total touchdowns (21), rushing yards per game (136.5) and points scored (126).

Hardy currently sits seventh nationwide in receiving touchdowns (13)while Rains sits 12th in scoring (102) and Dan Lester ranks 23rd in tackles for loss per game (1.7).

North Central is one of 11 unbeaten teams in Division III and ranks second in the nation in third-down percentage (58.7), first downs (294), red-zone defense (41.2%) and team passing efficiency rating (186.73).

North Central Career Rankings: Hardy ranks third in school history in touchdown receptions (31) and receiving yards (2,550) and fifth in total receptions (148).

Terrence Hill is sixth all-time in total touchdowns (42), seventh in rushing touchdowns (34) and ninth in rushing yards (2,092).Lehnen ranks fifth in North Central history in passing touchdowns (60), passing yards (5,357) and completions (337).

Dan Gilroy now ranks seventh on the Cardinals' all-time list for career quarterback sacks (19) while ranking 10th in career tackles for loss (34).

Elsewhere in the Championship: The winner of today's game will play the winner of the second-round game between Ithaca (New York) and Springfield (Massachusetts) in next week's national quarterfinals.

Other second-round matchups:

Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) at Trinity (Texas)

Bethel (Minnesota) at Linfield (Oregon)

Wartburg (Iowa) at St.John's (Minnesota)

Aurora at Alma (Michigan)

Utica (New York) at Mount Union (Ohio)

Randolph-Macon (Virginia) at Delaware Valley (Pennsylvania)

'Red Zone' Returns in 2022: Once again, fans of North Central College football can get an insider's look at the Cardinals' football program, as 'The Red Zone' highlight show returns for its 14th season on Naperville Community Television, Channel 17. 

The show airs each Thursday at 8 p.m., Friday at 12:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 3:30, 7:00 and 9:30 p.m., Saturday at 12:30 and 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. It will feature interviews with coaches and players, highlights of the previous week's game, and a look ahead to the upcoming opponent. 

Each show is viewable online at nctv17.com and is archived at youtube.com/northcentralsports as well as at northcentralcardinals.com.